#3-6: Familiar Territory: Part 2

Nirvana - MTV Unplugged in New York (1994)

Zack: I am the proud owner of all three of Nirvana's live albums (that's right, there's three) and what I like most is that each is has its own separate personality. Unplugged shows off an acoustic side, and the track selection for it is perfect. Some of their better songs don't fit well with an acoustic sound, and so they were rightfully discarded from the setlist. Instead, songs that weren't singles but are amazing in their own right were given a chance and the result was spectacular.
Favorite Songs: Polly, Where Did You Sleep Last Night?, The Man Who Sold The World

Emily: This is probably my favorite Nirvana album. Something about the acoustic guitar combined with Cobain's voice is so haunting and beautiful at the same time. The mix of hits, covers, and lesser-known tracks show a simpler, toned down side to grunge that puts the focus on the lyrics. What's more is that I love that they can take a David Bowie song and make it uniquely, distinctly Nirvana.
Favorite Songs: About a Girl, The Man Who Sold the World, Where Did You Sleep Last Night?

Green Day - Dookie (1994)

Emily: This is the Green Day album that started it all. For the world, of course, not me - I was 3 years old when Dookie was released. I came to Dookie as a so-called "new" Green Day fan discovering their "old" sound. Even after almost 20 years and an ever-changing sound, Dookie continues to hold its own as a prime example of 3-chord teenage punk. I've seen Green Day in concert twice live, and both times the crowd has gone crazy for the now-classic Basket Case and Welcome to Paradise.
Favorite Songs: Welcome to Paradise, Basket Case, Longview

Zack:  If that crazy clown/puppet thing from the Saw movies kidnapped me and locked headphones over my ears and told me that he was going to play a Green Day album on repeat and that they only key to unlock the headphones was located in my small intestine, I would pray to any deity that would listen that it was Dookie. Then Shenanigans would start and I'd attack my gut with toenail clippers or whatever I could find. In case you couldn't tell, I'm not much of a Green Day fan, but Dookie really isn't half bad. It tells you right off the bat that it's going to be snotty and rebellious and that's exactly what it is. You have to respect anything that's that authentic.
Favorite Songs: Welcome to Paradise, Longview, When I Come Around

Green Day - American Idiot (2004)

Emily: This is the album that made me a Green Day fan. Yes, it's inconsistent, and, yes, the storyline is hard to follow, but American Idiot was a milestone for the band and popular music. This was a whole new sound for Green Day at the time, and the world hadn't seen a punk rock opera, let alone a successful one. Personally, this is the first album that really got me interested in rock. I borrowed the CD from my best friend in 8th grade, and I've been a fan ever since, 7 albums, 2 concerts and 1 Broadway show later.
Favorite Songs: Jesus of Suburbia, Holiday, St. Jimmy

Zack: I give Green Day credit for this album because it showed real maturation and ambition for them as a band. As far as rock operas go, while certainly not a Tommy or The Wall, it is a pretty solid attempt as a whole. It starts out strong and develops a storyline that is semi-well defined, but drifts off towards the end. The singles off the album were all in the decent to good range. Most importantly, this album had a strong influence on a young teenage generation who was largely unfamiliar with Green Day (me included) and it certainly is worth a listen for that alone.
Favorite Songs: American Idiot, Holiday, Whatsername

Muse - Black Holes and Revelations (2006)

Emily: Muse is great for over-the-top arena rock with lyrics that don't really make sense, and this album exemplifies them best. We saw them in concert earlier this year, and the concert experience definitely fits the music. Elevated sets, giant video screens, and Zack's favorite - lasers! Muse is definitely an arena band - they take themselves a bit too seriously but they put on a great show.
Favorite Songs: Supermassive Black Hole, Knights of Cydonia, Map of the Problematique


Zack: Black Holes and Revelations is a fantastic album from start to finish. From the slow, winding start of Take a Bow right up to the triumphant Glorious, it is a well-structured and well-executed album. Really my only complaint is that the singles are forever associated with Twilight. When we went to see them earlier this year (they are fantastic live and you should definitely go if you have the chance) we had to deal with a bunch of black-clad fourteen-year-olds climbing over seats, but we also got to see a guy fist-pumping, so it worked out pretty well.
Favorite Songs: Knights of Cydonia, Map of the Problematique, Exo-Politics

Fist-Pump Guy! This photo took approximately 20 minutes to get the perfect misplaced fist-pumping moment.